A gas leak on the corner of Guy Street and René Lévesque Boulevard forced an evacuation and closure of the downtown Montreal intersection on Wednesday morning.
Fire department spokesperson Stephanie Lorrain said the leak was detected at 10 a.m. and firefighters are still trying to contain it as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities said there were no injuries as everyone voluntarily evacuated the surrounding buildings after contractors burst a pipe while doing construction outdoors. Lorrain said firefighters are continuously monitoring the air quality, checking carbon monoxide levels.
Hydro-Québec shut off power in the surrounding area and over 70 firefighters in 27 trucks were called to the scene. Emergency workers from Gaz Métro, now known as Énergir, are on site working to contain the propane and natural gas leak.
The Montreal fire department is urging all contractors to contact Info-Excavation at 1-800-663-9228 for a free consultation before digging to be sure they will not burst gas pipes.
Officials are asking commuters to avoid the intersection.
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